2011 summer haute couture is over. To endure the last picture I did, yesterday on the way out of Jean Paul Gaultier’s Cancan couture fashion show.

I ask for a little time to release my post about the wonderful event that Gaultier performed, his first after he left his job as Hermés creative-director. Does it affect the French fashion bad boy’s work? For sure.

I’ll be back later. Some time to recover, after a 10-day marathon filled with intense and delightful work. Meanwhile, check and enjoy the pictures just posted today at my section for Vogue Brazil’s website. Link here.

Last week at my visit to Chanel studios to get a look at the embroideries Lesage was making for the label 2011 Summer Haute couture, I thought: hummmm, a great luxury summer, but a simple one. Voilà. Karl Lagerfeld, even if he doesn’t admit it, does not deviate from the solid path Ms Gabrielle Chanel outlined in the course of the 20th century. At start, she hated sparkles and and boldness that would adorn considerably a woman. With time, however, she ceased to resist bit by bit her clients needs, after all she need to get paid and she enjoyed money so to guarantee her freedom of everything.

Everything is different now, but the 21st century Chanel still pursues to respect the features that sealed the work of the genuine Chanel. The collection presented at a pavilion called Capucines and is located at Cambon street where happens to be the famous apartment that Gabrielle loved, lived, set up her store and where many fashion shows took place at its mirrored stairs. On the catwalk, a certain simplicity in the air. The outfits are embellished, but there’s no excess, something that Gabrielle rejected.

Gabrielle didn’t enjoyed uncomfortable shoes. She was the one, more than 50 years ago, that asked the Maison Massaro (the cobbler that makes Chanel’s haute couture shoes) to create the bicolor beige and black with an open heel. The feet needed to move. Thus, this collection’s shoes are way too simple. Satin and plastic. Flat on the floor. This is a youthful collection, was my first thought. It’s for girls, the millionaires’ daughters that in one afternoon can order 20 dresses of a collection all made to order. Black sequin pants, that match with coats, little dresses, bubble skirts…the thing starts to get less simple, a little anyway, but not that much…

Everything is light, completely the opposite of the huge lion collection last winter, remember? With Baptiste Giabiconi wearing a lion’s head, Ms Chanel’s sign? This time Baptiste showed up only to watch the show ( it’ll be on my coverage to Vogue Brazil the picture I made of him on the streets. Handsome, as always…). The runaways were left to the serious models, gorgeous, with no heavy make-up and few accessories…

To close the show, Karl chose Kristen McMenamy. The model was arm in arm with the designer when the curtain on the back of the room opened. Then there was the other models as adorns of the Chanel’s apartment famous stairs replica that I mentioned at the beginning of the post. Got it? Good. I went by this stairs The Day before yesterday. I sat there for a few moments waiting to get in the apartment and get a close look at Paris-Byzance collection. It was my third visit to Chanel’s apartment. It didn’t seem trivial to me. What is nice never gets trivial, it only changes the way we see it. I felt more at home. Always welcomed.

I warned you that the catswoman pants are back, right? And just now that we learned that Batman’s new villain will be impersonated by Anne Hathaway, what do you think about it? I like this pants, but my eyes are addicted to the French women’s thinness, or the women that get inspired by them. Slender legs. Otherwise it doesn’t happen. It gets vulgar.

Nice, right? Lagerfeld’s glacier fake furs are a hit. It’s everywhere. I like it like this almost bare underneath. Smooth and without glitz so to enhance the coat that is gorgeous. More images? Visit Vogue Brazil’s website and check on my exclusive street-style here.

René Gruau’s magical illustrations made throughout long years to the fashion world and above all in full harmony with monsieur Christian Dior’s creations brought life to the collection John Galliano introduced this afternoon, at the Rodin museum right here in Paris. I’ve witnessed, last week ( while visiting the Chanel studios that render services to other big labels as Dior, Vuitton, Givenchy, Alexander McQueen, among some), the manufacturing of some of this pieces that hit the runaway today, but didn’t even imagine the connection with Gruau’s work. The Italian , that passed away in 2004, had on his drawing the fluid motion that this 2011 Summer haute couture garments were able to reproduce.

And Just as all the motion, almost a gestural dance from the models that walked the runaway…Many criticize Galliano, Karl Lagerfeld and Marc Jacobs’ work ( I even took a picture of a bag that says that in French: Karl, Marc and John loooove retaking! See it at the section I’m working on as correspondent at Vogue Brazil here). I don’t criticize. And I say bravo! So long and they still manage to make clothes that enhance their clients. As a matter of fact, that’s what is essential. All this big labels has clients that spent their lives dreaming of this pieces and that later have children, grandchildren, great grandchildren that will keep the tradition...And they still have actresses like Marisa Berenson always pretty in Dior.

Because his dresses are perfection. With plumes, silks, embroideries, all the handmade luxury in behalf of our beauty. Anybody, of any age, can wear a piece that only enhances a woman. That’s it. The inventions we leave for those who still have to find new formulas, something that this titans already have a long time ago and there’s no need for change.

On the show’s way out, I see plumes. They are the starlets, ok? They appear in many details of various collections. Or in the whole piece. Also the feathers. According to Lemarié studio, which is the responsible for buying and handling to wear all this material, they come from animals that we can eat. They’re allowed, legal, but there’s some cases, where the outfits are made only for fashion shows, and it come from rare animals, therefore with preservation preference.

The fake furs. Anna delo Russo showed up modest today. I guess the furs were fake.

She was quiet, but always charming, what makes her one of the most loved characters by photographers of all sources: paparazzi, street-style and vaudevilles…Ah, and if Anna wears white, blue and python ( she had on some gorgeous boots, I post it later…) it’s because this is a trend.

And this unusual character that made his performance at Rodin museum’s entrance. All that bling, that luxury, the furs, the bags that cost little fortunes and him with his colorful rags making his art.

I’ve got be brief on my reports here from Paris. Yesterday the Fall-Winter 2011/12 Men Fashion Week finished. I ‘m delighted with Paul Smith and Lanvin’s fashion shows. Two ways of doing fashion each with its own print, but complementing themselves. I do the reverse pyramid, because Paul’s show was after Lanvin’s, but because we don’t think by order, so voilà some impressions. Paul Smith’s fashion is the best image one can have of the modern English man, but with a French twist. Paul lives in Paris and is an adorable character that rides and gets on his own show by bike. His runaway with Andrej coming and going had the outfits he always does: shirts, suits, shorter jackets, overcoats. Colors? Red, blue and black and what else? Check on Style.com and see the whole collection. What I want is to talk about the spirit of it. Something that the great fashion websites don’t do it.

Como essa figura que desfilou para Paul Smith. Toque inglês...Like this character that was on Paul Smith’s raunaway. English twist…

And the international girls teaching us that the most engaging mix are the ones that you discover by yourself for your biotype, not? Flowers, furs, see through. Ah and speaking of flowers: this tiara that she has on her head is one of the wish-list accessories around here. One of Chanel’s Art studios manufactures it. On the February issue of Vogue Paris there are lots of them. Love it.

And I also love the bold colors enhancing the standards. 2011 Winter has many facets. Impossible not to find one that fits us well. I’ll talk more about it on the next posts…Rush rush so in a little while I’m headed to Dior’s haute couture on Rodin museum. It’s going to turnaround every look on style. You gonna see it. Out the mixtures disengagement, in the labels and all its luxury and perfection.

And Lucas Ossendrijver’s work under the wings of Alber Elbaz which is the label creative director, but that only runs the Women collection. Finally, the idea of separate the designers that create men and women done in some labels is well accepted in Paris. We love Lucas’ work.Tem galeria de fotos minha no site da Vogue Brasil. Entra e vê clicando aqui. BisousParis 5°C com chuva fraca. A+Fica na linha.

Paris’ fashion wouldn’t be so stern and rock’n’roll at the same time (yes, a duality, a glued and inseparable path here, in this case) if there weren’t the Belgians. Belgium is right beside France, from Paris we take less than two hours to get there by train. The Belgians speak French, among other dialects, and are celebrated by their joy and kindness. In fashion, when it comes as far as clear novelty, they are masters. For whom comes to Europe and enjoys the subject it is compulsory to visit Brussels and Anvers.

This morning I went to Ann Demeulemeester’s fashion show, genuine Belgian.Actually, I came back to the place where, last night, I’ve entered on Galliano’s Russian world, but for people that live on this Fashion weeks many times a year, going there is a pleasure. Zero bling-bling. 100% professionalism and love to an onward and at the same time classic fashion. Hard to explain. But Ann does lots of black and white outfits, plus worked with red as well. And she makes good use of heavy boots and jodhpurs, things that another Belgian, Kris Van Assche, also did for his collection yesterday and for Dior Homme this afternoon. That’s their fashion: easiness. Wide pants or not that much. Shirts with minimal collar at Dior ( so told me Marina). I didn’t went to the show. I can’t be in every place at the same time. I’ve got to write…Well, the images from every fashion show you get to see it here. I take care of doing a few parenthesis of bits and pieces of what I see…

When I say zero bling-bling that’s what I’m talking about. Pretty women, nicely dressed, but quite different from all you usually see. I love it. This one is from Rick Owens’ team, whom is not Belgian, but has a strong hand of that country’s school…

And what I’m most in love right now is to be able to see all this styles, some rather uptight, some more traditional, others quite insane and others accurate, but so charming ( yellow really works on details, don’t you think so? Take his scarf out and see how it changes completely…) all sharing the same space…

The point isn’t if you’d wear the red tights or not. A lot of us not even can ( bulky legs are out of option at once), but we can adjust. Wear red and gray and brown. Wear knit more than ever, like those really knit by hand. It is valid if is purchased on Prada or Zara or Sportmax or even at the supermarket…And the it bags are off stage…

Some images from the third Day of Menswear Fall-Winter 2011/12 Paris Fashion Week. Here is past midnight. I can get to sleep, without at least whisper a little of today’s mood. On the way out of Kris van Assche fashion show, the guy of Paul Smith’s ads. Gorgeous. I can’t remember his name right now. Later, when my ideas will be put to rest, the name will come. The mood before that. This boys manners make the hardness of a really cold day bearable.

That, in a fashion show like John Galliano’s, it gets totally obvious. They are still almost angels. With the heavy make-up they don’t miss their sexuality. The body doesn’t let it happens. The fashion, ahhhh this is the trend: stern colors, touches of orange, camel, black, white, gray ( and that counts for Kris Van Assche as well). It has fur and knit on John Galliano’s replete of Russian ballet ( take a deep breath here!!!)…And men on snow…

Got it? It has gold , just like yesterday at Gaultier’s, but that’s only to call spontaneous media with this exquisite images that, at this point, will be spread worldwide. To the man that buys, the one that guarantees this brands sales, the escape of the well cut suit will hardly happen. Maybe the boldness of a different detail on a white shirt and a fur collar jacket or even one all made of it. The debate on its authenticity it’s not on list. At the moment. The Chinese journalist seated beside me and that’s been following every fashion show since Milan has no concern for that. He only writes it down the brands names that I tell him have some significance. He’s a first timer on Fashion Weeks. He has all invitations. His newspaper is read by millions every day.

Jean Paul Gaultier’s Bond girl is a boy. Well, the model Andrej Pejic walked the runaway last season and left everyone with their mouths open with his androgyny. He got famous pretty quickly and is the star of Marc Jacobs’ ad campaign whom we also saw dressed up as a lady on the cover of Industrie magazine, in a post here. James Franco, another fashion handsome also dressed up as a woman on the cover and the editorial of Candy magazine photographed by Terry Richardson. The trend really stuck. And also isn’t of our time that men have enjoyed to dress up like a woman, even if it’s just once in a carnival of in life. The subject of JPG Fall-Winter Men’s show was James Blonde. Voilà his blondes…

The show was a lot of fun. Maison Gaultier’s shows always are. The video I’ll post tomorrow. Now only a taste of all the artifice that presented an outfit that we didn’t even paid attention at what it looked like. The runaway presented not only androgynous, it had handsome men. I didn’t get to see the outfits. Sorry.

Oliver Lalanne, Men Vogue International chief-editor and Carine Roitfeld’s right arm at Paris on his way out of Louis Vuitton. Lalanne remained in charge beside Emmanuelle Alt. Love it. He is qualified, serious and did a magazine dedicated to more mature men that, to me, is a collection item. A remarkable interview with Iggy Pop with pictures by Mario Sorrenti, among so many things and a naked Iggy! There was no androgyny there. Testosterone that’s was there. For those who didn’t get the chance to see it, here:

Many connections. Good energy and spirits. That’s what the Men Fashion Week is like....There’s not that much to tell, better: super has, but the images translate well what I saw and learned today.Gray, purple, orange, military green, doudones, shorter pants for them and for us. Long hair, straight, pulled, tangled. Orange, the catswoman pants.Finally…that’s it...

Cores!

Amanhã eu volto. Ou sábado. Ou quando der.

Dia cheio que termina com John Galliano às 20hs.

Bisous

Curta a vida direitinho.

O modo de usar é esse.

Colors!I’m back tomorrow.or Saturday. Or whenever.A full day that ends with John Galliano at 8 P.M.Kisses.Truly enjoy your life.That’s the way to make use of it.